Neural substrates underlying perception and thought of game situations in expert shoji (Japanese chess) players

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K00198
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Cognitive science
• Research Institution: The University of Tokyo
• Principal Investigator: Nakatani Hironori 東京大学, 大学院総合文化研究科, 助教 (30333868)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 小脳 / 熟練 / 認知 / 思考 / 脳機能イメージング / 将棋

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Expert shogi (Japanese chess) players have superior ability to understand game situation quickly and think ahead precisely. In this study, I have investigate neural activity underlying understanding and think ahead of game situation in order to understand neural substrate of superior cognitive capability of experts.
When game positions were presented to expert players, a part of cerebellum showed activity. In contrast, novice players did not show activity in cerebellum. When expert shogi players solved tsume-shogi (shogi problem) very quickly, a part of cerebellum showed activity. Importantly, the cerebellum activity was small when expert players did not solve tsume-shogi quickly. These results indicate that cerebellum is involved in superior cognitive ability in experts.

Free Research Field

認知神経科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究課題申請時には、熟練者の優れた認知機能の神経基盤は執行機能を有する前頭部だと予想していたが、小脳に活動が観察された。小脳における情報処理の特徴は無意識的で素早いことである。小脳は運動の学習と制御の中枢として知られているが、小脳が運動だけでなく認知機能の熟練にも関与しているなら、熟練者の直観的な認知機能の神経メカニズムを小脳の特性に基づいて説明できる。そのため、熟練者の認知機能に小脳が関与しているという予想外の結果は、認知機能の学習や熟練に関する新たな視点を提供すると考える。